Conor Hourihane's send-off? Classy talisman gives Barnsley enduring memory as Leeds United hit bump in the road

Conor Hourihane’s sumptuous 54th-minute free-kick in front of his adoring Pontefract Road audience provided the picture-book match-winning moment to an electric occasion as Barnsley’s talismanic captain showcased his propensity for delivering exquisite offerings.

Given the beguiling story of the Reds over the past 12 months, it should have represented no real surprise. The latest scene-grabber in a box-office tale.

It remains to be seen if Hourihane produces an encore, with the smart money being on him taking his leave, with Aston Villa waiting in the wings.

The schemer’s extended applause after the final whistle towards the Ponty End, who warmly reciprocated in kind, suggested so.

If it is, what a classy way to go.

The Reds’ bandmaster and heartbeat pulled the strings and displayed plenty of reasons why many in the Championship covet his services.

A swansong? Quite possibly.

On Hourihane’s sweet strike, fellow midfielder Josh Scowen quipped: “It was bang average...Seriously, he is a great player and we have seen his left foot over and over again at Oakwell and everywhere else.

“It is a pleasure to play alongside him.

“Obviously, we want to keep him as he is one of our best players. But when big clubs come calling, it is hard to keep your players.

“You have a little bit of banter here and there. But it is our job to play football and keep playing for Barnsley until someone tells us otherwise.

“We will keep giving 100 per cent as Conor did and showed that with a wonderful goal.”

In a season when Leeds United have challenged recent convention, coming out on the wrong side in a tinderbox Oakwell occasion proved that some things do stay the same.

It may have been a battleship grey day in South Yorkshire, but a pungent whiff of cordite was unmistakably in the air as Barnsley evoked memories of some classic days of yore against the likes of Leeds and several other traditional big-hitters.

Leeds may have been in cruise control on the pitch so far this winter, but they would have been wise to check the Highway Code for any hazard warnings ahead of Saturday’s short trip down the M1 to Oakwell.

It is a footballing trip that has been fraught with danger in the recent past and so it proved once again.

On the subject of being wise, the folly of TV overlords in selecting a combustive fixture for the late kick-off slot was also exposed with fragments of crowd trouble sadly pockmarking proceedings in the first half before order was restored.

Sky Television may have got their wish with a pulsating derby match, but it came at a price, with sap rising in the stands too, fortified by fair amounts of alcohol, you would venture.

Unsavoury scenes followed Chris Wood’s close-range opener, with rival fans goading each other in the corner of the ground between home and away supporters, before another flashpoint in a section of the Ponty End.

Barnsley’s players seemed to be the more distracted and Wood and Souleymane Doukara went close to adding a second goal before the Reds regrouped and dominated much of the remainder of the game.

Angus MacDonald and Marc Roberts spurned chances before a smartly-taken Tom Bradshaw header following Adam Armstrong’s cross caught Leeds napping just before the break to restore parity.

The visitors never truly recovered. After pinning down several rival sides during their barnstorming recent run, Leeds were handed a taste of their own medicine as pumped-up Barnsley produced a high-octane second-half blitz.

The visitors’ midfield were left chasing shadows and defensive deficiencies were exposed with the lively Ryan Kent turning neatly before firing home a clinical low shot. Hourihane’s wonderful free-kick would soon arrow into the top corner.

An error of judgment from Mike Dean provided Leeds with a lifeline with Wood coolly converting from the spot after Roberts was wrongly judged to have handled in the box, with the offence clearly taking place outside. But ultimately it did not affect the game’s outcome.

A late flurry saw Kemar Roofe and Stuart Dallas go close to an equaliser, but it was Barnsley’s night as they ended a fraught week in rousing and defiant fashion.

It was a setback for Leeds, by contrast.

But they have assembled a side with a strong jaw this season, with captain Liam Bridcutt confident that it will prove a rare aberration.

“I think it was just a bad day at the office for us all,” offered Bridcutt.

“We conceded three goals, which is very rare for us, and 
we probably switched off at set plays.

“It was probably on the cards. With the form that we have had, we can’t keep that up throughout the season and we know we are going to have down days.

“I think this was our down day and hopefully we can put that right on Wednesday now.”